[Photo No. B-353]

© Winston D. Munnings ’2010 (Poster Print)

The Kori Bustard (Ardeotis kori) is a large bird native to Africa. It is a member of the bustard family. It may be the heaviest bird capable of flight, although this title may also belong to the similarly-dimensioned Great Bustard. The Kori Bustard is mostly grey in color, with a black crest on its head and yellow legs.

Kori Bustards are often found with bee-eaters riding on their backs as they stride through the grass. The bee-eaters make the most of their walking perch by hawking insects from the bustard’s back that are disturbed by the bustard’s wandering. This is a large and heavy bird, and it avoids flying if possible. It spends most of its time on the ground, foraging for the seeds and lizards which make up most of its diet. Like all bustards, Kori Bustards have polygynous breeding habits, where one male displays to attract several females and mates with them all. He then leaves the females to care for the young by themselves.

The females build a nest on the ground and incubate the eggs, foregoing eating for days. When the chicks hatch, the mother brings them a steady stream of food, most of it soft so the chicks can eat it easily.

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My Camera Gear…

Camera
Nikon D300 (Two Bodies) ~ Nikon D90 (Back-Up)

Lens
AF Nikon 50mm (F/1.8) ~ AF Nikon 85mm (F/1.8) ~ AF Nikon 24-70mm (F/2.8) ~ AF Nikon 80-200mm (F/2.8) ~ AF Nikon 105mm (F/2.8) Micro Lens ~ AF Nikon 200mm (F/2.8) Micro Lens ~ AF Nikon 300mm (F/4)